iKC is Throwing a Twitter Party (And You're Invited!)
iKC is throwing a Twitter Party...and you're invited!
What is a Twitter Party exactly? It's the opportunity to engage with iKC on Twitter and enter for the chance to win major prizes!
Prizes include: a free ticket to the Big Idea Exchange on June 18, a 10-pack drop-in at bizperc coworking space, 2 tickets to Entrepreneur Day at the K on June 26, 1 hour of free business consulting from Think Big Partners and 2 tickets to KC's conference on innovation and entrepreneurship, iKC, on June 20.
How can you participate? No RSVP and no gifts required! Instead, just pop on Twitter during the week of June 4th-8th and answer a few of our innovation/entrepreneur-driven questions. When you use hashtag #iKC2012 to answer our questions, you will automatically be entered for the chance to win big!
Follow iKC from June 4th-8th and get tweeting!
Click here: iKC on Twitter
A big thanks to the following companies and organizations who are now supporting iKC as sponsors (more sponsors can be found at www.sparkinginnovation.org).
Predict Successful Innovation with Dr. Michael E. Raynor at iKC
iKC, sponsored by Master Your Card Missouri, is excited to spotlight Dr. Michael E. Raynor as the keynote speaker during this year’s innovation and entrepreneur conference on June 20, 2012. Dr. Raynor started his career as a consultant, but quickly discovered his passion for research and innovation. This realization led Raynor to the Harvard Business School where he focused on becoming a professor. But as many creative thinkers and innovators know, career paths are not always straight ones. Dr. Raynor took on a hybrid position with Deloitte LLP’s research arm, Deloitte Reseach, which has proved both fruitful and ever-changing.
But Dr. Michael Raynor is so much more than just a high-level consultant. He’s a husband, a father, a best-selling author, an investor, an innovator. Raynor can speak to a wide range of individuals at iKC—from the budding entrepreneur to the high-power investor—because it seems as if Raynor has been everywhere and done it all.
Dr. Raynor will present a keynote speech titled The Innovator’s Manifesto: Deliberate Disruption for Breakthrough Growth at iKC on June 20, 2012 at the H&R Block World Headquarters in downtown Kansas City. The keynote will focus on the emerging rules of successful innovation and will speak to investors, entrepreneurs, managers and corporate M&A’s alike.
“My idea is that we worry about innovation processes rather than the substance of good ideas because we do not yet know what really good ideas truly look like,” Raynor says. “In my research I’ve tried to tackle the question of innovation as scientifically as I can, and I believe I’ve got some interesting progress to report.”
According to Raynor, entrepreneurs and innovators far too often swing blindfolded at a piñata, hoping that they get a good whack. But why swing blindfolded when a much more deliberate approach to ideas and innovation exists? That’s what The Innovator’s Manifesto keynote is all about.
“Getting the right process in place is difficult, but conceptually straight-forward, rather like training for a marathon,” he says. “You know what to do to prepare for it, but not everybody does it because it’s hard. Similarly, we’ve tried everything to make innovation easy, believing that somehow if we find the right management process, the good ideas will emerge automatically. I think a different approach is needed, one that focuses on the defining attributes of good ideas, independently of how they were created.”
iKC attendees now have the chance to learn what makes for a great idea – one that is systematically more likely to success. Listen to Dr. Raynor live at iKC on June 20, 2012—purchase your ticket today.
iKC Unleashes Fire Up Topics!
iKC is throwing Kansas City's first Fearless Innovators' and Ruthless Entrepreneurs' Unconventional Pitch. We know, it's a mouthful. That's okay, though...you can just call it "Fire Up" for short.
A Fire Up is a 5 minute, lightning-fast pitch presentation: 20 slides. 15 seconds per slide.
Sound a little too fast? It probably will be. Fire Up will put entrepreneurs in a hot seat and will force them to be concise, to think on their feet and to spark the interest of the crowd.
We’re looking for 12 brave contestants to participate in iKC’s Fire Up event. Six will present on one topic and 6 on another. What are the topics, you ask? Go ahead—pick your poison:
What is the Next Disruptive Innovation?
The Answers to Questions You Didn’t Know You Had
Does Fire Up spark your interest? If so, sign up to participate in a Fire Up on June 20th during iKC. Learn more and sign up at http://sparkinginnovation.org/fire-up.
iKC Reveals Conference Agenda
You’ve been asking—and now we’re delivering! We are now announcing the agenda for this year’s iKC conference on innovation and entrepreneurship. With dynamite presentations from local innovators, entrepreneurs and business experts and a keynote speech from innovation expert Dr. Michael E. Raynor, iKC is sure to ignite, innovate and inspire.
So what will you learn? You’ll be drawn into sessions that focus on creativity, innovation, pitching, monetizing an idea, building tech companies, building an advisory board, communication and much, much more. There will even be a special presentation from Master Your Card Missouri, the iKC presenting sponsor.
So what are you waiting for? View the iKC Agenda today and find which sessions you’d like to attend!
And don’t forget to follow iKC on Twitter for more news, updates and announcements.
iKC Exhibitor Booth
iKC isn't just a conference on innovation and entrepreneurship. It's an opportunity for entrepreneurs, innovators, small businesses and creative people everywhere to network with 500+ other like-minded individuals about their ideas, dreams and startups. It's a chance to get a business in front of other people in the community. It's the opportunity to debut and innovation or spotlight a company.
This year, iKC is offering two types of exhibitor booths for those interested in showing off a company, event or idea.
Innovation Gallery: This room will display the biggest upcoming companies and people with an idea, product, service, event or business. Innovation Gallery exhibitors must be no more than 2 years old, have a groundbreaking or disruptive idea in the industry and have a creative, visually appealing display. iKC attendees will get a first-hand look at some of the coolest innovations in the KC community at the Innovation Gallery.
iKC Exhibit: The iKC Exhibit will be placed directly outside of the conference breakout rooms for maximum exposure. Companies that want to display new ideas, successful products, important services or cool events are welcome to purchase an exhibitor booth. The iKC Exhibit will feature companies who have been in business for more than 2 years and have an established brand identity.
To learn more about exhibiting in either the Innovation Gallery or the iKC Exhibit, please contact Think Big Partners at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 816-842.5244 for more information and to receive an Exhibitor Booth packet.
What is a Fire Up? We’ll SHOW You.
iKC is bringing the first-ever Fearless Innovators’ and Ruthless Entrepreneurs’ Unconventional Pitch (Fire Up) to the innovation and entrepreneurship event on June 20th. But what is a Fire Up, exactly? Instead of telling you, we thought we would show you with an example of our own Fire Up presentation! Check out the video below (it’s super fast...so prepare yourself) and then sign upto participate or sponsor a Fire Up today!
iKC Announces KC Business Magazine and The Kansas City Business Journal as Media Sponsors
Think Big Partners and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce have announced the formation of two media sponsorships to jointly produce the innovation and entrepreneurship conference known as iKC with KC Business Magazine and The Kansas City Business Journal.
iKC, formerly known as The Chamber’s Innovation Conference and Think Big Partners’ Think Big Kansas City, is a day-long conference that will be hosted by H&R Block. The mission of the conference is to foster innovation and creativity in Kansas City, help build the “City of Entrepreneurs”, and provide innovation and startup opportunities for corporations, KC businesses and entrepreneurs. The conference will take place on June 20, 2012 at the H&R Block World Headquarters in downtown Kansas City.
iKC will spotlight keynote speaker Dr. Michael E. Raynor, author of The Innovators Solution and director at Deloitte Consulting LLP. In addition to the keynote speech, iKC will feature a number of other expert speakers, panelists, Fire Up presentations, Inspire Talks, networking opportunities and an after-party at the KC Live Block.
As two top providers of entrepreneurship and business news in the Kansas City community, KC Business Magazine and The Kansas City Business Journal are natural partners to collaborate with in order to promote and execute the iKC event. Both publications offer ongoing commitment, support and coverage of entrepreneurship and innovation in and around the Kansas City area.
Other iKC sponsors include Master Your Card Missouri, H&R Block, bizperc, Inboun and Piscator Media. Think Big Partners and The Chamber are currently pursuing other organizations interested in sponsoring Kansas City’s newest conference on innovation and entrepreneurship. If interested in a sponsorship, please call (816) 842-5244 or visit www.sparkinginnovation.org.
